Transmission Pros of San Diego

Transmissions are very complicated. It really does take years of experience to know exactly what is wrong with, and more importantly rebuild a transmission.

Transmissions are a specialization. Any mechanic will tell you that automatic transmissions are more complicated and have more moving parts than most systems in the entire car.

What are the causes of transmission failure?

Heat, heat and, yes, heat. Automatic transmissions fail due to excessive heat. There are many scenarios that will get a transmission so hot that it completely fails. The most common cause of failure is heat from a lack of fluid. This can often happen when a major seal has failed and leaked all of the fluid. Transmission fluid acts as the hydraulic fluid used to pressurize the system, as a lubricant and as a coolant. When there is no longer any coolant, then you get overheating and soon after component failure. So it is always a good idea to check your ATF fluid levels and perform your periodic service every 15,000 miles. And identifying a transmission leak, is a call to action to have your seals replaced. It is better to be proactive, rather than have to spend 3-4 times that amount with a full transmisson rebuild. Hot summer weather will not only push the limits of your radiator, but also that of your transmission.

Lack of maintenance . Have you ever had your automatic transmission serviced? Recommended service intervals are typically every 15-25k miles. Old fluid that has turned from red to a dark brown, is never welcome in automatic transmissions. You also want to remove any small metal parts that are floating around. These two factors can combine to clog up sensitive shift solenoids and make your transmission fail to shift.

Mechanical failure. In some circumstances mechanical failure may be to blame for a broken transmission. The pictures on this page illustrate the perfect example of such a failure. The torque converter of the Ford F250 broke and injected bits of metal into the common fluid. This then went on to score the bearings of the transmission oil pump. Once the pump failed, the lack of fluid in other parts of the transmission produced a buildup of heat that smoked the clutches within the transmission. A quality torque converter is a must in assuring reliability. The $50 you will save between an OK brand and a proven unit will mean the difference between regular service and a $3,000 overhaul. Mechanical stress can also cause transmission systems to fail due to high torque and horsepower. Activities such as drag racing and high load towing can also shorten the life of a transmission.

Solutions. One argument against simply buying an OEM replacement unit is that often times, the design flaw that just produced your transmission failure is sitting right in that new replacement unit you just bought. An experienced builder will typically know exactly the right components that are available on the aftermarket that eliminate those OEM design flaws. In addition to our standard rebuilds, we also offer a heavy duty package that is designed to address how you use your vehicle. Modifications include a stronger torque converter, addition of a larger transmission cooler, new internal wiring harnesses, and new solenoids. Tell us what you want your transmission to live through and we'll help you put together a package to meet those needs.

Integrity in business practices. It is well known that there are many shops out there with unethical business practices, such as charging for work that was never performed, or performing unnecessary services. It may sound counter intuitive, but the only way to know what is really broken with your transmission is to perform an RDI, or remove dismantle and inspect. After exhausting external diagnostics, there is no way to see through a transmission to determine a problem other than to disassemble and inspect the transmission. Then and only then, should you authorize a rebuild. Making a decision to authorize a rebuild before diagnostics and RDI will commit you to potentially unnecessary expenses. At Transmission Pros of San Diego, we offer free inspections. Often times, we find that the problems are addressed with minor fixes. At any time, a customer is welcome to ask our service manager to see copies of the many invoices where we send customers home after our free inspection. This is the reason why the State of California trusts Transmission Pros with the servicing of its fleet and many lube and tune businesses send us their customer cars for unbiased inspections.